Skate sharpener



Aug. 25, 1959 E. J. TOMS SKATE SHARPENER Filed Aug. 21, 1958 BY Q6 1 gym Z/GWW 327% ATTORNEY United States Patent Q SKATE SHARPENER Ernest J. Toms, Welland, Ontario, Canada Application August 21, 1958, Serial No. 756,359

1 Claim. (Cl. 51-214) This invention relates to skate sharpening devices.

Various types of skate sharpeners have heretofore been proposed. Most of such sharpeners consist of a multiplicity of parts and are dilficult to adjust and awkward to use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a skate sharpener having a minimum number of parts, which is inexpensive to manufacture, which can be readily adjusted to maintain the sharpening surface in uniform relation to the skate at all times, and which is easy to op erate.

The invention relates to a skate sharpener comprising a single unitary rectangular metal block having a groove in one longitudinal face thereof, and a cylindrical recess of greater diameter than the width of said groove extending longitudinally of the block from end to end thereof and communicating throughout its length with the base of said groove, said recess forming shoulders in said block extending outwardly of the lower edges of said groove, a rod of abrasive material in said recess, said rod having an arcuate surface of smaller radius than that of said recess constituting the bottom wall of said groove, and adjustable clamping means engaging said rod to hold the same in seating engagement with said shoulders.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skate sharpener in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is an end elevation, and

Figure 3 is an end elevation of a slightly modified form of sharpener.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, 1 is a block of metal, preferably light weight metal such as aluminum or magnesium alloys. The block has a length of about four or five times its width, and a depth from one and one-half to twice its width. Thus the block may be approximately four inches long, three-quarters of an inch in width, and one and one-quarter inch in depth. The block has plane uninterrupted side faces 2, plane unobstructed end faces 3 and top face 4, as well as a plane bottom face 5.

A groove 6 is formed in the top face 4 and extending from end to end thereof in parallel relation to the side faces 2. The groove has a depth of approximately onehalf inch and a width of approximately one-eighth to one-quarter inch.

A cylindrical recess 7 extends from end to end of the black and communicates with the base of the groove 6, the recess having a diameter greater than the width of the groove 6. Thus, a diameter of approximately er 2,900,769 [Ce Patented Aug. 25, 1959 one-half inch is satisfactory. The recess thus provides a shoulder 8 extending outwardly from each inner edge of the groove and having an arcuate surface. In the recess 7 is a rod 9 of abrasive material such as that known under the trade name Carborundurn. The rod 9 extends from end to end of the recess and, in the modification shown, is semi-cylindrical in cross section. The arcuate surface 10 of the rod is adapted to be seated upon the arcuate shoulders 8 and the radius of such surface 10 is slightly less than that of the shoulders 8 whereby a firm seating engagement may be provided at all times.

Means for holding the rod 9 in the seating position described comprises a pair of set screws 11 extending inwardly from the bottom face 5. The screws 11 have threaded mounting in the block 1 and the ends thereof extend into the recess 7 for applying pressure on the flat under surface .12. of the rod. A hearing plate 13 may be interposed between the ends of the screws and the rod. The screws 11 may be spaced about two inches apart to provide adaquate support for the rod 9. Preferably the heads 14 of the screws are countersunk as indicated to provide an unobstructed bottom face 5.

Referring to Figure 3, the modification therein illustrated is similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the exception that an abrasive rod 15 of circular cross section is substituted for the rod 9. As before, the radius of rod 15 is less than that of the recess 7.

Preferably, the corners of the block at the mouth of the groove 6 are bevelled as indicated at 16 to provide space for reception of the tube of a tube skate. This is an important consideration since tube skates are in widespread use.

I claim:

A skate sharpener comprising a single unitary rectangular metal block having a groove in one longitudinal face thereof, and a cylindrical recess of greater diameter than the width of said groove extending longitudinally of the block from end to end thereof and communicating throughout its length with the base of said groove, said recess forming shoulders in said block extending outwardly of the lower edges of said groove, a rod of abrasive material in said recess, said rod having an arcuate surface of smaller radius than that of said recess and constituting the bottom wall of said groove, and adjustable clamping means engaging said rod to hold the same in seating engagement with said shoulders and comprising a bearing plate in said groove, said rod having a surface opposed to said arcuate surface in engagement with said bearing plate, and screws in said block each having an end in pressure-applying engagement with said bearing plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 484,201 Holland Oct. 11, 1892 555,974 Roberts et a1 Mar. 10, 1896 750,696 Price Jan. 26, 1904 899,213 Fitzgerald Sept. 22, 1908 1,273,624 Krollins July 23, 1918 1,335,813 Berghman Apr. 6, 1920 2,428,473 Slocum Oct. 7, 1947 

